


I’ll Care For You

by Akan_Abrun



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Angsty Jim, Brian and Pam are the support/power couple, Caring Dwight, Dwight tops, M/M, and swearing, yes there will be sex come on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 16:28:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18742753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akan_Abrun/pseuds/Akan_Abrun
Summary: Jim’s been depressed. Brian and Pam try and help him discover his feelings for Dwight. Then a work excursion through nature helps Jim and Dwight become closer. Dwight takes on a caring role for Jim and helps him out of his slump.Mentions of alcohol and weed and if that bothers you idk what to tell you chief it’s 2019.Also this is my first fic for The Office so it’s going to be rubbish and OOC but I’ll get better and I’ll write more fics I promise.Also I’m terrible at descriptions so just give it a shot dammit. Also read the first note.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *** READ ME ***
> 
> So there’ll be a lot of references of a character looking at Brian, which also means that the character is looking at the camera. Just imagine Brian and the camera as one entity essentially while the characters are in the office.

“Quit staring at me like that Jim!” Dwight threw a pen at Jim from across their desks, holding his phone to his shoulder as he whisper-yelled at Jim. “God, it’s like I have to remind you twice a day!”

Jim shifted his tired gaze to his computer. It’s true, Dwight did have to remind him daily to stop staring at him. Jim didn’t mean to, really.

Honestly, Jim hadn’t been right lately. He’d been tired, sad, and unmotivated. The pranks with him and Dwight had eventually tapered out into nonexistence. Even Angela threw him a “what’s wrong with you?” a few days ago.

He’d been in a slump and didn’t know the cause or the cure. All he knew was that, in a weird way, looking at Dwight and reminiscing about all the fun they’d had made Jim feel just a little bit better. He missed the antics, he was just— again— unmotivated.

Talking to Pam helped too, but he could only spend so much time lingering at her desk. Pam was his best friend, and they were so close that he even thought that he had a crush on her at one point. After analyzing his feelings, though, he figured out that he just felt a lot of platonic intimacy towards her. He couldn’t comfortably picture himself being romantic or sexual with her (even though she was gorgeous and absolutely perfect in every way). 

Jim wondered briefly, staring at his computer while Dwight talked to his client in the background, how he labeled his relationship with Dwight. He supposed they were friends. At first he hated the beet nerd, but as the years passed of them doing pranks on each other, Jim considered him more and more of a friend. Jim didn’t have many friends, so it was kind of sad that one of his only long time friends was a farm boy from work.

Jim sighed. It seemed as though his thoughts always ended up either on Dwight or on how pathetic he was.

He balled his fist and looked at the clock. Half an hour longer. He wondered how much beef he’d get if he left early. He couldn’t even pay attention to his computer screen let alone make a sale.

He stood up to go just in time for Michael to stop him.

“Jiiimmy Jim Jim Jimmmbo! In my office please and thaaaank YAH!” Michael spouted before he retreated back into his office. Jim sighed and rolled his eyes.

“What’d you do?” He heard Dwight ask spitefully behind him. He didn’t dignify the man with an answer.

Jim sat down in Michael’s office, and his boss gave him a pouty lip. “I noticed somebody’s been a little—“ Michael pointed at his exaggerated pouting lip, “— down.” Jim blinked at him.

“So is this about work, orrr..?” Jim chuckled.

“Well, it’s about you being one of my best friends, and I love you and care about you.” Michael said seriously, and Jim glanced at Brian with raised eyebrows, who smiled and shook his head. “But also your sales have been down.”

“I know. My uh... my dog died.” Jim lied, glancing at Brian again because he knew better. Brian knows everything, always. Nobody lies to Brian.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” Michael said sympathetically, putting a tissue box in front of Jim. “What kind of dog?”

“Cocker spaniel— listen, I actually scheduled a memorial for her, by myself, and I’m running late. Could I..?” He gestured to the door.

“Oh of course! Go! Get out of here!” Michael waved him away. “Say some kind words for me! I’m sure she was a wonderful pooch.”

“Thanks, he was actually a boy,” Jim joker, knowing he said ‘her’ earlier. Michael looked confused, but Jim was already out the door. He went to his desk and gathered his things.

“Where are you going?” Dwight asked, twiddling the pen in his hands. Jim tried not to get distracted watching the man’s meticulous fingers twirl the metal utensil around. He really needed to stop letting Dwight distract him so much, dammit.

“Home, dammit Dwight,” Jim snapped without meaning to. He looked around to see people turning their heads at him. “What? Joker Jim can’t have a bad day every once in a goddamn while?” He said in a jokingly casual way, shrugging. “Sorry to break it to you guys but everybody’s human!” Jim threw up his hands and backed towards the door, glancing at Dwight’s shocked face before turning around and walking out.

 

After Jim was out the door, Michael came out of his office saying, “It’s okay guys! His dog died... he needs to grieve. I’m sure he’ll feel better soon! Then he’ll be same old Jim!” He chuckled to lighten the mood. Dwight looked at Brian with a face that nobody could read, and looked at the door.

 

Jim heard calls behind him in the parking lot. It was Brian running up to him, huffing from the hurry to catch him.

“Hey. You alright?” He asked, running a hand through his dark hair to ‘fix’ it from running. “It’s okay if you don’t wanna talk. And we don’t have to film it obviously. Just wanna make sure you’re okay man.”

“I’m fine, I just...” Jim sighed. “I don’t know what that was about, honestly. I just haven’t been feeling right lately. I feel so... conflicted.”

“About what?” Brian asked soothingly. Jim shrugged.

“I don’t know... I really don’t.” He replied in defeat. Brian looked pensive for a moment.

“Do you want to have a kickback with Pam and I? Drinks, snacks, electric lettuce?” Brian asked. Jim thought for a moment.

“Sure. Text me a date.” Jim answered, and Brian nodded. Jim waved goodbye and got in his car. Time to go home and sleep his life away.


	2. Chapter 2

Jim, Pam, and Brian sat in Pam’s living room talking with a random movie on in the background. Hard ciders in hand, they passed a joint around.

“So Jim, we want to have a powwow.” Brian said after passing the joint to Jim. Jim took a big hit because he knew what was coming. 

“You need an outlet somehow Jim. Let us help you figure out what’s wrong.” Pam said, looking at him with her big imploring eyes. Jim passed the joint at her, and he couldn’t say no to her. He could never say no to Pam. She was a weakness for him. He almost regretted not trying to date her if she and Brian weren’t so good together.

“The thing is I don’t know what’s bothering me. I literally have no idea.” Jim threw up his free hand in defeat before using his other hand to take another drink of his cider. 

“Well when do you feel the worst?” Brian asked.

“At home, alone, laying in bed and not being able to sleep. Definitely the worst.” Jim opened up. “I’ve been having nightmares a lot so sleeping’s been rough.”

“What do you have nightmares about?” Pam asked.

“Random stuff. It’s never the same.” Jim shrugged.

“When do you feel best?” Brian asked him. Jim took a moment to think before replying.

“Probably at work I guess...” Jim shrugged again. The joint got passed to him and he took a hit, coughing slightly from the hot smoke.

“What about with Dwight?” Brian asked. Jim frowned at him inquiringly.

“What do you mean?” He asked, and Brian and Pam glanced at each other. Jim felt a strange chill inside him suddenly.

“Well you and Dwight always have fun with your pranks,” Pam said.

“And for the past few years 95% of the interview footage with you or Dwight are you guys talking about each other,” Brian said. “So obviously he’s a big part of your life.”

“I mean we sit right next to each other!” Jim laughed and took a drink of his cider. “And I enjoy the pranks. I consider him a friend honestly.”

“Have you ever thought of more?” Pam asked, earning a warning look from Brian which made Jim frown.

“More pranks..?” Jim asked in confusion as he accepted a new joint from Brian.

“More of a relationship with Dwight. Like something more intimate.” Pam said with a shrug, and Jim coughed on the joint.

“Intimate?! With Dwight? What do you mean?” Jim exclaimed between coughs. “You mean like do I want to sleep with him?”

“Well do you?” Pam asked.

“NO!” Jim all but yelled while aggressively giving the joint to Pam.

“Have you ever imagined it? Try.” Brian raised his own cider at Jim and took a drink. Jim rolled his eyes and stared at his bottle.

Imagine sleeping with Dwight? Oh well, he was high enough to give it a shot to entertain his friends. He sighed and tried to concentrate. He tried picturing it in his mind.

Jim and Dwight in bed, naked. Jim on top— no, Dwight would probably be on top right? He imagined Dwight kissing him on the lips and neck, running his hands along his body. He pictured the look of Dwight’s face in sexual ecstasy as he slid in and out of Jim. He fantasized about it for a moment as he stared at his cider, feeling more and more warm.

“I mean it’s... isn’t it supposed to feel this way picturing sex with someone? Sex is sex. It’s whatever.” Jim shrugged, trying to hide how concerned he actually was about how thinking of Dwight touching him made him feel.

“But if you picture similar things with Pam and I does it have the same effect?” Brian pried. Jim gave it a shot. He was stoned, might as well explore his mind. He tried picturing Brian in place of Dwight, and then he pictured himself and Pam together. He tried for a few moments before shaking his head.

“Maybe... maybe you miss Dwight.” Pam suggested. Jim frowned at her.

“Look, I don’t need Dwight,” he said sternly. “I don’t WANT Dwight either. I’m just... in a slump. I’ll come out of it soon.”

Brian and Pam shared another look.

“Guys!! I don’t like Dwight, okay? I can’t even imagine being in a relationship or anything like that with him.” Jim told them. “I just need some time to... get out of this shitty mood I guess.”

The other two let him off the hook, and they continued to watch movies and have a good time the rest of the night.

And Jim continued to be mopey for the rest of the week, only now he avoided talking to or looking at Dwight for the following week.


	3. Chapter 3

It could’ve been so much more original, but Jim gave him props. Mentally, at least.

“Wow Dwight, you really got me,” Jim said, unenthused, as he lifted a plate of grape jello with his pens and white out inside the purple treat. “Nice one buddy.” He put the plate on his desk, ignoring Dwight’s obnoxious expression of victory. He went to Pam’s desk and she wordlessly gave him a few pens and some tape. Perks of being friends with the receptionist.

Jim ignored Dwight and basically everyone else for the rest of the day until everyone went home. Jim hadn’t been making very many sales lately due to his slump, so he figured he’d work a little bit of overtime to compensate.

He chatted on the phone with a client for a while until suddenly a steaming mug was set at his desk. He frowned and looked up to see Dwight nod to him before leaving. Jim watched him walk out the door, his heart pounding.

Jim glanced at Brian for a split second before staring at the mug, replying to his client. He could smell the hot cocoa emanating from the ceramic mug, a marshmallow bobbing in the chocolatey drink. Dwight didn’t get him coffee because it was the evening. He made him hot chocolate.

He hung up the phone and picked up the mug. He sniffed it suspiciously. “Think he poisoned it?” He asked, looking up at Brian. The camera man shook his head.

“Nope, I watched him make it through the window,” Brian smiled.

Jim took a sip of the hot drink. Instantly he felt better.

-

“A hike?!” The entire office echoed glumly.

“Come on! It’ll be— it’s a walk in nature, guys! And there’s different path difficulties! I thought it’d boost morale!” Michael exclaimed bouncingly.

“The only thing it’ll boost is my risk of having a heart attack...” Stanley grumbled, and Jim snorted quietly.

“I’d rather get paid to walk around outside than do work,” Jim said with a shrug, and Michael looked more excited.

“I’ll out-walk all of you slugs, see you at the top of the mountain peasants!” Dwight announced.

“Actually it’s more of a big hill— anyway, it’s this Friday! Be there or.. be... square? Be square!” Michael said elegantly before retreating to his office, leaving sighs from the others to follow him.


End file.
